Acoustic Thru-Hull Communications Harris Acoustic Products Corp.

Thru-Hull communications is an application of acoustic technology to solve difficult communications problems onboard maritime vessels. Harris has developed hardware and communications software that uses the steel hull plates and frames of ocean going ships as a communications channel. The advantage of this methodology is that it eliminates the need to install shipboard cabling and bulkhead penetrations.

Putting new cables through bulkheads and decks is an expensive proposition to any sea going vessels. The nature of the ship structure (steel hulls, small or no openings) is also not very suitable for using traditional Radio Frequency (RF) based wireless communications.

Harris has an existing product, HullComm, based upon analog modem technology that is used by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as part of a worldwide ocean going meteorological program. The success of the analog system has prompted an advancement of the technology into the digital realm. By utilizing digital communications techniques and advance software algorithms, Harris is expecting to increase the signaling range and increase the data through-put. These modems will support many applications such as monitoring ballast water tanks, bunker fuel levels, backup alarm systems, water egress systems and others.